Small businesses hope to see their own weekend rush

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In the frenzy of Black Friday shopping when big-box retailers offer tantalizing discounts to draw hundreds, if not thousands of Maderans to their stores, locally owned, independent businesses can often be an afterthought.

It is the hopes of several Madera business owners to change that trend as part of Small Business Saturday, a growing national campaign that works to remind shoppers that sometimes the best deals are at mom-and-pop stores and, more often than not, those purchases go a lot further in the development of a healthy local economy.

“People should always shop at local businesses,” said Debi Bray, president and CEO of the Madera Chamber of Commerce. “People are tempted to go shopping at big-name chains but it’s the small, locally-owned businesses that keep our community moving forward.”

The “Shop Small” campaign was started in 2010 by credit card company American Express. It allows shops to register for Small Business Saturday, and when customers with eligible American Express cards registered online by Nov. 30 spend more than $10 at participating stores they earn a $10 credit...